New Zealand Decides It Won't Hand Over Megaupload Founder Without A Fight

Kim DotcomA New Zealand High Court judge has ruled the U.S. must hand over its evidence against Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom if the Justice Department wants him extradited.

The high court's ruling quashed America's appeal of a lower court decision that said the U.S. must show its evidence against Dotcom before his extradition hearing, Wired reported Thursday.

Back in January, the feds shut down file-sharing website Megaupload.com and charged Dotcom with piracy.

New Zealand Justice Helen Winkelmann ruled that without a chance to view the evidence against him, Dotcom's arguments at his extradition hearing would be "significantly constrained," while the U.S. would have a "significant advantage," Wired reported.

But Dotcom's extradition fight is far from over, despite the high court's ruling.

"Our expectation is that that the United States through the Crown lawyers [representing them in New Zealand] will appeal the judgment and further delay the extradition hearing," Megaupload's lawyer Ira Rothken told Wired.

The Justice Department would not comment on the ruling or the United States' future appeals plans.